Held at the Chinese Cultural Centre, hundreds of invited guests, designers and their fans packed the David Lam Hall for an evening of the latest fashion looks from around the world.

Presenting on the runway that evening was Emi Jingu, a fashion designer who has won many awards in balloon art and fashion. Her collection titled, “Unlimited” included eight creative balloon dresses made from small balloons with elegant couture silhouettes. 

Jingu’s dresses featured peplum-styles, slim bodices, and flared skirts, highlighting her extraordinary skill. The eccentric garments were complemented with sleek hairstyles, glossy makeup with black tones, and stilettos to encompass a chic futuristic style.

Followed by YONFA, the creative fashions of Japanese designer Kim Yonghwa showcased comfortable elegance pieces made from natural cottons and wool with a seasonal colour pallet of brown and blue.

Yonghwa played with dimensions, offering a range of oversized jackets, crisp calf-length white shirts and sweaters cut at unique yet flattering angles.

With flattering silhouettes in elementary colours of white, navy, black and tan, YONFA is all about comfort, elegance and accessible style.

From the land of the rising sun, designers have recently begun to market themselves on the world stage which offers audiences a difference perspective on fashion today.

The designer previews at Vancouver Fashion Week gala were a cross-cultural experience that juxtaposed intimidating, leather-clad gothic looks and sparkling, transportive Indian bridal wear. Featuring loud red sparkles, soft woollen comfort wear and sexy fun swimwear.

Stay tuned to Style Drama as we bring more luxury fashion news from VFW.

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With their signature use of feathers, sequences and prints while merging tradition and modern styles, Falguni Shane Peacock fashions are for today’s women may they be in Asia, Europe or North America.

In western countries, couture is seen on the runway or red-carpet, but in India you will find it worn by everyone, especially at weddings. For Indian couture fashion is all about craftsmanship and impeccable detail which has become famous due to social media and is now worn by Hollywood A-listers.

Last evenings runway show presented traditional bridal lehengas with stylized blouses, creative saris and modern silhouettes for any grand occasion.

With the introduction of a men’s line and a newer colour palette, the future of Falguni Shane Peacock couture as a global brand looks bright at the South Asian Fashion Week opening gala night.

Also that evening 20 additional visiting and local fashion designers showcased a single piece from their collection which will be viewed on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Photos: Simon Lau

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Featured on the opening night gala is the fashion design duo Falguni Shane Peacock who have had their couture pieces adorned by Priyanka Chopra, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyoncé and many other Bollywood celebrities.

Falguni Shane Peacock are talented designers that have successfully merged western fashion style with Indian embossments such as feathers, sequences and prints and like a live peacock, it’s all about the juxtaposition between contrasting elements.

Not blending in is what I expect to see in their first runway appearance in Canada this Friday and with a reputation for glamour meets rock and roll party girl, it promises to be a show stopper.

On Saturday and Sunday evenings, SAFW runway shows will feature more than a dozen local and visiting south Asian designers plus a special collection by Pakistani designer Deepak Perwani.

New this year is the Art Gallery Lounge that features a collaborative art exhibition of canvas art, painted fashion and poetry curated by artists Don’t Doze. 

Plus you can also experience the taste of South Asian cuisine serving the flavors of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and more at the SWFW Café on site.

SAFW offers a weekend of fashion styles that are opulent, dramatic and exciting with a touch of Hollywood star looks.

Purchase your tickets now at SAFW.

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The inaugural Eco Fashion Week Australia did away with that bohemian image last week by showcasing chic, wearable collections with a focus on quality and sustainability.

Under the direction of Zuhal Kuvan-Mills, designer for Green Embassy and founder of EFWA, over 40 eco-friendly local and international fashion designers were brought together to demonstrate how style, culture and a love for the environment intersect to create the future of fashion for conscious consumers.

During the weeklong event, which took place in the port town of Fremantle near Perth, eco-friendly designers proved that they are part of the solution to landfill waste and ocean plastic, offering slow alternatives to the unsustainable practices of the fast fashion industry.

Along with workshops on recycling and upcycling materials and the use of natural fibers, the festival showcased high quality, stylish and versatile clothes for every occasion, proving once and for all that eco fashion is not just for flower children and free spirits.

From Green Embassy’s glamorous dresses to the outback wildflower jewelry of Curtin Springs’ Amee Porter to the sporty and smart casual looks by Merino Country, eco-friendly fashion has something for everyone and is increasingly a part of the Australian style landscape.

Here are the top looks from Eco Fashion Week Australia.

Green Embassy is the New Black

Eco Fashion Week Australia’s opening show was Green Embassy, a luxurious eco-friendly fashion brand by Australian designer and event founder, Zuhal Kuvan-Mills.

The collection shown at EFWA, entitled Empty Ocean Series, was inspired by the diversity of marine life and the changing textures of the ocean waters. Done up in natural silks colored with vegetable dyes, the fluid forms of Green Embassy’s designs represent the pinnacle of green fashion and prove that glamour can be good for our planet.

Sista of JAC

Sisters Selda and Yeshim Ismail make up the design team behind Sista of Jac which presented a runway show full of colorful prints, bold colors and abstract lines inspired by architecture and science.

Based in Melbourne, they design their own fabrics which include organic cottons as well as rescued textiles such as wool and silk.

With a goal of sustainability and zero waste production, they offer high quality luxury garments for the discerning eco fashionista.

Sylvia Calvo

Scouring the waterfront docks of Barcelona, Sylvia Calvo collects and recycles coffee bags to create her eco-friendly collections.

She also collaborates with other artists to create hand-painted organic cottons and woven fabrics made from leftover textile scraps that combine art and couture.

Calvo believes that sustainable fashion goes in hand in hand with elegance, creativity and design and, with one of the most impressive collections on the runway at Eco Fashion Week Australia, her designs bear out her beliefs.

Amee Porter, Curtin Springs

A self-taught jewelry designer, Amee Porter creates her collections from the natural grasses and plants of Curtin Springs, a Central Australian cattle station located 40 kilometers from Ayers Rock.

From the landscape of the Australian desert, native grasses are harvested, pulped and pressed into unique sheets of paper which are then formed into jewelry. Surrounded by a 360-degree horizon, Porter draws inspiration from the ever-changing vistas of the million acre cattle station which includes a workshop and gallery out of which she creates and displays her wearable art.

Jude Taylor

The love of wild colorful Australian flowers and the exceptional landscape they flourish in is what inspires Jude Taylor’s fabric designs. Working with natural fibers such as linens, cottons and silks, she experiments with unbleached fabrics to create beautiful floral patterns.

Offering classic trans-seasonal styles that can be enjoyed for many years to come Taylor is one to watch for eco-conscious consumers.

Kirsten Ley

Kirsten Ley’s inspiration for the collection she showed at Eco Fashion Week Australia was drawn from the concept of Snell’s Law and the exploration of translucent light refraction.

Not only is Kirsten is a fashion designer, she is also an artist, a singer and a songwriter who wrote the music for her runway show at Eco Fashion Week Australia.

Using only natural materials, the multi-talented Ley empowers women with confident clothing that moves naturally with the female form.

Arcaro Couture

Angelia Arcaro started creating clothes when she was 11 years old and has a deep love of beauty and art. As each Arcaro Couture gown is unique and made from only the finest natural materials such as wool, cotton, linen and silk, her collection is an expression of individuality and quality.

Angelia Arcaro offers up true elegance with a Australian twist. Each Arcaro Couture gown is hand-crafted and embellished with antique jewelry, reworked lace, pearls, gemstones, beads, feathers and other ornaments discovered at local markets.

Lima Jordan

Using raw and recycled fabrics, Lima Jordon of Melbourne creates avant-garde fashion that is also simple and practical, exploring and reinterpreting the origins of clothing.

As a designer, Jordan chooses to go against fast fashion, fight for workers’ rights and support the slow-fashion movement. Her current collection was inspired by nomadic/tribal lifestyles, traditional artisan fabrics and unknown cultures and effortlessly combines her sustainable values with innovative designs.

Merdi Sihombing

Since childhood, Merdi Sihombing has been enveloped by the arts in all its forms – singing, dancing, painting, poetry and more. He started designing clothing as a teenager and is inspired by the cultures of the diverse tribes of Indonesia.

One of the difficulties he faces as a designer is taking the rich culture and traditions of Indonesian fashion to global markets while still using sustainable fabrics and supporting ethical workplace practices. Given all he’s achieved in the eco fashion world, he’s sure to rise to the challenge.

Merino Country

Merino Country’s wool garments are all about comfort and performance for people with an active lifestyle. The intrinsic properties of the company’s merino wool are that it is breathable, easy to care for, ideal for sensitive skin and renewable and biodegradable.

Fashion designer Kerrie Richards was raised on a sheep station in Western Queensland and has created a wide range of garments, including underwear, activewear and smart casual clothes such as polo shirts, dresses and shorts.

Polyester yoga pants are destroying our oceans by releasing small polyester beads during the wash cycle which are then consumed by fish and ultimately end up in our bodies. For all the eco-conscious yogis out there, Merino Country’s wool yogawear is one solution the plastic that pollutes our oceans.

Elle Evans

Originating in Melbourne, this youthful swimwear line created by Elle Evans, showed a series of of playful swimsuits inspired by the colour of a ruby red grapefruit at Eco Fashion Week Australia.

With a strong belief in doing business in an ethical and sustainable, Evans strives for the smallest footprint by using 100% recycled PET Nylon Lycra materials made from ghost nets and other plastics from the oceans. Fabrics made from recycled plastics or scrapped fabrics take up to 40% less energy to produce than virgin fabric and, as Evans’ designs show, produce garments just as stylish as anything you’d find in a fast-fashion outlet.

Connally McDougall

Since childhood, traditional clothing and textiles along with nature and architecture have fascinated Connally McDougall and influenced her aesthetic. Based in Vancouver, Canada, McDougall aspires to create chic fashion for women with materials that are both ecologically and ethically sustainable.

Her collection, including a line of handbags, is made in her own studio from organic cotton, wool, silk and faux leather.

Upcycling Challenge

Eco Fashion Week Australia Upcycling Challenge by Marilyn R. Wilson featured the works of 21 designers from 12 countries. The challenge was to create one runway look from used men’s dress shirts that showcased their design style and the designers did not disappoint.

The look above is by Jessie Liu of San Francisco, a master of creating flattering silhouettes in bold graphic prints that appear almost three-dimensional.

Verdant the Label

Designer Kyra Brown has always wanted her line of women’s clothing, Verdant the Label, to represent the positive side of fashion. This meant spending months researching the fashion industry in order to ensure that, from farmer to consumer, from the treatment of garments workers to the use of natural materials, her clothes are as ethical and eco-friendly as possible.

Drawing her inspiration from social media and people watching as well as art, vintage style and the international fashion scene, Brown is fascinated by how light, color and texture play on the body and the imagination.

Chaynika Sethi of CVS Fashions

With a focus on structure, detailing and tailoring, Chaynika Sethi is all about power dressing. Designing collections for both men and women, she offers a unique perspective on corporate wear.

Sethi works with organic, unprocessed natural fabrics like linen, cotton, wool and silk as well as textiles derived from coffee beans to create fun and innovative styles that are sure to add confidence and attitude to any workplace wardrobe.

If you go:

Fremantle serves as the port for Perth, Western Australia’s capital, and is located on the mouth of the Swan River which flows into the Indian Ocean. As a visitor, you will experience a seaside village filled with waterfront restaurants, museums and boutiques. The British convicts who built the foundations of the city first landed in the early 1800’s and several of the original Victorian buildings still stand today, providing some historic charm to go with Fremantle’s relaxed, small town feel.

Savour:

With the convicts came the archetypal British fish and chips and Fremantle’s waterfront district is filled with pubs and restaurants that offer this traditional fare. The local favorite is Kailis which combines casual dining with quality food from the classic fish and chips meal to full entrees of bbq fish, octopus, scallops, oysters and more. There is ample seating inside or on the dock but watch out for the hungry seagulls.

Just next door to Kailis’ is Bathers Beach House which offers diners views of cruise ships departing eastward into the Indian Ocean. Menu offerings range from seafood platters to beef burgers to mahogany creek chicken breast salad, all highly recommended.

Sights:

The seafaring history of Fremantle is on display at the Western Australian Maritime Museum located right on the waterfront. The current exhibition, Escape from Pompeii: The Untold Roman Rescue, is a must see. In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the city of Pompeii under huge clouds of volcanic ash and debris. The exhibition tells story of the Roman Navy’s attempts to evacuate people and the importance of controlling the Mediterranean to their empire. On view are artifacts such as personal objects and the remains of those who died in one of history’s most famous disasters. This exhibition runs until February 4, 2018.

Shopping:

For those who wish to take home a memory of Fremantle, Glen Cowan’s Studio at the Roundhouse located at the foot of High St. Cowan offers a wide range of colour prints and images on jewelry. Cowan is an underwater photographer who has captured the beauty of marine life in the region and his pictures make ideal keepsakes to remember your visit to Fremantle.

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The exhibition takes visitors through Saint Laurent’s legendary career and reveals both his artistic genius and his creative process as an haute couture designer. On display at SAM is an exemplary collection of 110 ensembles, many of which have never been shown in public before, showcasing the tremendous achievements of his 44-years in the fashion industry.

As he singlehandedly reinvented the wardrobe of the modern women during the 60’s, Saint Laurent’s importance to the fashion world cannot be understated. By introducing the female cuts of wardrobe staples such as the pea jacket, the tuxedo, the pantsuit, and the safari jacket, he changed the way women dressed and Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style is a testament to this.

Fashions fade, style is eternal

Saint Laurent was born in 1936 in Oran, Algeria and grew up in a villa by the Mediterranean with two younger sisters. From a young age, he liked to create intricate paper dolls and by his early teens he was designing dresses for his mother and sisters. As you first enter the exhibition hall, you will learn about his Paper Doll Couture House, an interactive display which allows you to place colorful dresses over a paper doll.

Saint Laurent studied at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris before he began his fashion career at Christian Dior. Ensembles early in the exhibition focus on Saint Laurent’s formative years when, at age 21, where he was named artistic director for the renowned house after the sudden death of Christian Dior in 1957. Working at the pinnacle of French luxury fashion, his successful 1958 Spring – Summer debut collection for Dior includes his magnificent Eléphant Blanc evening dress made from silk and covered with gold metallic thread embroidery which is a must see piece of this exhibition.

Visitors will learn how Saint Laurent was inspired by art. On display is one of his most famous dresses which features square blocks of primary colors’  red, yellow and blue encompassed by black lines and pays homage to Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Saint Laurent was influenced by all forms of art and culture from the bright colors and stark lines of pop art to the traditional materials used in African arts and crafts. A raffia coat with a silk dress embroidered with tiny wooden beads is a prime example of the latter source of inspiration.

Dressing is a way of life

In 1962, Saint Laurent launched his own couture house with Pierre Bergé, his lifelong partner both in business and in life. In 1966, they opened the first ready-to-wear designer boutique in London which introduced designer fashions to the masses. He became know as the Beatnik Couturier, drawing inspiration from street life and pop culture and proudly proclaiming, “you no longer need to be rich to have style.”

As fascinating as any of the dresses, and included throughout the exhibition, are the original collection boards from 1962 – 2002 with sketches of and swatches from each outfit of every Saint Laurent couture show covering 40 years of the maison de couture’s history. Plus, one of the eight modules of the exhibition includes a large glass display case the size of a boardroom table filled to the edges with bold and colorful jewelry accessories, demonstrating the total look of the Yves Saint Laurent house.

During the 1970’s Yves Saint Laurent achieved superstar status equal to that of Mick Jagger or David Bowie. He was no longer simply a fashion designer, but also a celebrity, targeted by British gossip magazines and photographers on the lookout for scandals. And he did not disappoint. In November 1971, to promote his men’s fragrance Pour Homme, he released a nude photograph of himself and caused an incredible stir.

Numerous photographs, drawings and production documents offer a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative workings of the fashion house and the private life of the great couturier.

Many of the exhibition displays are on loan from the Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent Foundation which opened its doors on the premises of the former Paris couture house in 2004 with a goal to conserve and promote Yves Saint Laurent’s unique vision after he passed away in his Paris home in 2008.

Elegance is forgetting what one is wearing

The elegance of Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style stands in striking contrast with grunge, Seattle’s contribution to fashion history. Originating from its vibrant music scene, the movement influenced high fashion in the 90s and is making a comeback at youth oriented fast fashion outlets.

Grunge kicked off with the rise of Kurt Cobain’s alternative rock band Nirvana whose music earned its label with its murky and rough sound. Many have described grunge fashion as thrift store chic. Cobain himself had a nonchalant “anything goes” look characterized by graphic t-shirts, Doc Marten boots, distressed light denim, oversized cardigan sweaters with moth holes and, to top it all off, bad hair every day of the week.

In 1993, James Truman, Editor of Details, said that, “grunge is about not making a statement, which is why it’s crazy for it to become a fashion statement.” However, become a fashion statement it did. Marc Jacobs was one of the first designers to showcase grunge as high fashion with his 1993 Perry Ellis collection. In fall 2014, the Hedi Slimane collection for Saint Laurent was a tribute to grunge with luxurious scruffy mohair sweaters and faux-fur coats.

In striking contrast to its grungy past, the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition at SAM brings a touch of luxurious style to the Emerald City, begging the question if Yves Saint Laurent changed the face of haute couture, can he change Seattle?

If you are planning a weekend getaway or just passing through the Seattle area, the Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition is a must see for anyone. Whether you have a particular appreciation for the influences of French couture on fashion today or you simply like beautiful things, this exceptional display of Saint Laurent’s work is sure to please.

Don’t delay as the exhibition only runs until January 8, 2017. Afterwards, it will travel to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, VA where it will be open from May 6 – August 27, 2017.

If you go:

Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave. Seattle, WA

Parking:

Stewart & 3^rd Ave. across from Macy’s. Request a parking voucher from the SAM ticket counter for discounted rates.

Accommodation:

Heathman Hotel Kirkland, 220 Kirkland Ave. Kirkland, WA

Dine:

Trellis Restaurant, 220 Kirkland Ave. Kirkland, WA

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